Piyush Goyal pitches waiving of intellectual property rights on Covid vaccines
India Today
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday raised the issue of waiving intellectual property rights on Covid vaccines, drugs and equipments at the WTO Geneva meet.
Buoyed by Pope Francis' statements that equitable access to safe and effective vaccines is critical to saving lives and livelihoods, India's commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday lashed out at countries and big pharmaceutical companies opposing Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) waivers on Covid vaccines, drugs, and equipment.
In a tweet tagging the World Trade Organization, Pope Francis said that Africa must not be left behind.
Equitable access to safe and effective vaccines is fundamental to saving lives and livelihoods. Africa must not be left behind. No one is safe until everyone is safe. @WTO #MC12
The papal suggestion literally backed up a proposal made 20 months ago to ease patent rules in order to help developing countries and less developed countries (LDCs) acquire vaccines, drugs, and equipment.
Goyal in a hard hitting statement said, "Some pharmaceutical companies for profit and some countries, to ensure profits for these companies, are taking away the rights of the poor to get vaccinated. They have set profits as a priority."
